Los Angeles Kings Dean Lombardi patient with Slava Voynov

SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks 721722 Anaheim Ducks win fifth straight with victory over Calgary Flames, 3-2 721723 Fasth keeps Flames cool in Anaheim 721724 Ducks want visitors to be 'nervous' Boston Bruins 721725 Tim Thomas to start in net against Bruins 721726 Reilly Smith makes smooth transition to second line 721727 Tim Thomas to start vs. Bruins Thursday 721728 Bruins take a step back on the power play 721729 Concerns about power play grow 721730 Tim Thomas now the target 721731 Bruins set to face off against Tim Thomas Buffalo Sabres 721732 Reunited Sabres trio of Ennis, Foligno, Stafford play like it s 2012 721733 Word is getting around on Darcy, Sabres making deal 721734 Looking at dynamics of Regier status in wake of Sportsnet report 721735 Kaleta to appeal 10-game suspension Calgary Flames 721736 Game Story: Ducks 3, Flames 2 721737 Flames lengthy drought in Anaheim continues after 3-2 defeat 721738 Flames notes: Who s the fastest skater of them all? 721739 Boudreau on Flames: Really tough opponent 721740 Flames fall short in Anaheim 721741 Calgary Flames Snapshots: Selanne has his share of fans... including Mikael Backlund Carolina Hurricanes 721742 Differing emotions for Canes against Toronto 721743 Gleason travels with Canes, close to return 721744 Blackhawks stymie Hurricanes' comeback in SO win Chicago Blackhawks 721745 Despite close games, Hawks exude confidence 721746 Thursday's matchup: Blues at Blackhawks 721747 Blackhawks will have to put in work to win surging Central Division 721748 Blues' Lapierre won't face Blackhawks this time 721749 Blackhawks game day 721750 Blackhawks' Hossa doing what it takes to stay sharp 721751 Blackhawks aim to improve third-period play 721752 Blackhawks notes: Scoring is like a ketchup bottle Colorado Avalanche 721753 Patrick Roy takes another swing, his first as coach, at Red Wings 721754 Looking for a new rivalry? So are Denver's pro teams 721755 Avs to entertain Red Wings as Patrick Roy looks for record-setting win 721756 Can we give some credit to Greg Sherman now for that Semyon Varlamov trade? Columbus Blue Jackets 721757 Michael Arace commentary: Jackets would be wise to rack up early points 721758 Blue Jackets notebook: Calvert likely out six weeks after surgery Dallas Stars 721759 Heika: Stars' 41-year-old Ray Whitney filling a niche with eighth team NHL 10/17/2013 DAILY BRIEF 721760 Maybe the Dallas Stars need to channel the ghost of 'Eddie's Better' 721761 GameDay: San Jose Sharks at Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings 721762 Helene St. James: Red Wings showing buoyancy, could soon be deeper at Helm 721763 Darren Helm, Patrick Eaves could rejoin Detroit Red Wings next week 721764 Fiery new Avs coach Patrick Roy could help re-ignite rivalry with Wings 721765 Red Wings send G Petr Mrazek to Grand Rapids 721766 Red Wings' Jonas Gustavsson making most of opportunity with Jimmy Howard sidelined 721767 Darren Helm prepares with Griffins: 'I'm a little nervous but I just have to get out there and go' 721768 Detroit Red Wings reassign goaltender Petr Mrazek to Grand Rapids Griffins 721769 Red Wings look to deny former nemesis Patrick Roy a coaching record as they face unbeaten Avalanche Edmonton Oilers 721770 Oilers Belov adjusting to the speed of NHL game 721771 Gagner edging closer to getting green light 721772 Todd Nelson extremely proud of Mark Arcobello 721773 Russian scout Igor Kravchuk unimpressed by Oilers forward Nail Yakupov 721774 As bad as their record is, the 1-5-1 Edmonton Oilers say they're on the verge of turning the season around 721775 Oilers backup Jason LaBarbera delivers solid performance in losing effort Florida Panthers 721776 Florida Panthers Tim Thomas is in line to start against his former team 721777 You Can Play: Florida Panthers to host gay hockey night 721778 WEDNESDAY'S NOTEBOOK: Tim Thomas Tweeted as Starter v Bruins... Panthers to Host LGBT Night v Minnesota 721779 Panthers tweet out that Thomas will play against Bruins 721780 Thomas mum before reunion 721781 Preview: Bruins at Panthers, Thursday, 7:30 p.m. 721782 Panthers' Tim Thomas mum before matchup with former team Los Angeles Kings 721783 Dean Lombardi patient with Slava Voynov Minnesota Wild 721784 Gameday preview: Wild at Tampa Bay 721785 Wild looks to regroup against the Tampa Bay Lightning 721786 Wild: With Josh Harding in goal, everything coming up 'W' Montreal Canadiens 721787 Injuries take lustre off Habs strong road trip 721788 Dave Stubbs: Price is on his game 721789 Drewiske out five to six months following shoulder surgery Nashville Predators 721790 Nashville Predators give veterans extra rest time 721791 Nashville Predators do better job of keeping possession of puck 721792 Josh Cooper's hat trick: Nashville Predators 721793 Preview: Los Angeles Kings at Nashville Predators New Jersey Devils 721794 Devils change goal song, ask for replacement suggestions; What would you pick instead of Gary Glitter? 721795 Devils' Mattias Tedenby can add some spark in Ryane Clowe's absence

721796 Devils trying to get newcomers up to speed 721797 Devils rank 18th in most expensive NHL ticket prices; Rangers are eighth, Flyers 21st 721798 Devils' Ryane Clowe placed on injured reserve 721799 Cautious Devils place Ryane Clowe on IR 721800 NHL Power Rankings: Roy s unbeaten Avalanche climb mountain New York Islanders 721801 Cal Clutterbuck shows Isles fans what he can do New York Rangers 721802 Finally Back in the East, the Rangers Seem at Home 721803 NY Rangers shut out Capitals to end three-game losing streak 721804 NY Rangers victimized by grueling early season NHL schedule, but MSG return coming 721805 Crushed Ice: Derek Stepan feels 'fine,' Ryan Callahan scores skillful goal, Henrik Lundqvist sharp in 2-0 Rang 721806 NY Rangers vs. Washington Capitals: Preview of Metropolitan Division clash with lineups, stats on Alex Ovechki 721807 Derek Stepan OK after getting hit in the head 721808 Rangers feel better after blanking Capitals 721809 Richards: Rangers slow in adjusting to Vigneault s system 721810 Rangers notes: Brad Richards feels like himself again 721811 Rangers shut down Washington, 2-0 721812 NHL: Up next for Rangers: Capitals 721813 Henrik Lundqvist blanks Capitals as Rangers tighten up defense 721814 Once again, Rangers' season rests on Henrik Lundqvist's shoulders 721815 After forearm to head, Derek Stepan has no hard feelings 721816 Rangers-Capitals in review 721817 Rangers 2, Capitals 0 post-game notes 721818 It s Go Time! Rangers at Capitals NHL 721819 NHL Western Conference rankings Ottawa Senators 721820 Senators prediction panel: Game 7 721821 A work in progress 721822 Confidence boost for road-weary group 721823 Scanlan: In with the new as Senators finally return home 721824 Senators losses higher than reported: Melnyk 721825 Ottawa Senators go into home-opener on a high note 721826 Ottawa Senators captain Jason Spezza feeling good about game after notching hat-trick in Phoenix Philadelphia Flyers 721827 Flyers Notes: Next chapter in Flyers-Penguins rivalry 721828 Flyers have a 'must-win' in October 721829 Flyers should follow McGinn's example 721830 Flyers, Penguins: Teams going in different directions 721831 Inside the Flyers: Flyers should pursue Sabres' Vanek 721832 With tough Pens in town, time to get results 721833 McGinn decides to make his call-up count 721834 Flyers learning from ugly goal in Canucks game 721835 Late meltdowns continue to plague Flyers 721836 Flyers Notes: McGinn providing instant offense 721837 Newcomer Streit to partake in rivalry with Pens on ice Phoenix Coyotes 721838 Phoenix Coyotes wing Rob Klinkhammer s hard-charging style pays off in goals, promotion 721839 Dear Yotes fans: Mike Smith's second entry 721840 Phoenix Coyotes' Mike Ribeiro has success when he puts game on auto pilot Pittsburgh Penguins 721841 Penguins won't bury Flyers yet 721842 Penguins notebook: Letang won't rush back from injury 721843 No introductions needed between rivals 721844 Letang out tonight, nears return San Jose Sharks 721845 Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle returns to San Jose after 'scary' injury 721846 Sharks' Boyle expected to fly back to San Jose, skipping Dallas game 721847 Maxim Lapierre -- 'We find the defendant incredibly guilty' 721848 Sharks enjoy mental and physical off day 721849 Boyle still hospitalized; surgery for Burish St Louis Blues 721850 Paajarvi will make his Blues debut in Chicago 721851 Blues-Blackhawks matchup box 721852 Lapierre apologizes to Boyle, awaits hearing 721853 Lapierre faces lengthy suspension for hit on Boyle Tampa Bay Lightning 721854 Bolts await word on Marty 721855 Bolts notes: Barberio knows how to stay ready 721856 Lightning s St. Louis misses practice due to injury 721857 Lightning-Wild preview 721858 Hurt St. Louis day to day; Connolly called up from AHL 721859 Marty St. Louis misses practice with lower body injury; status for Thursday's game uncertain Toronto Maple Leafs 721860 Despite hot start, Leafs coach Carlyle sees room for improvement 721861 Van Riemsdyk's status unclear as Leafs prepare for Hurricanes 721862 Leaf tickets: Resale cost highest in NHL 721863 Maple Leafs choose Miley Cyrus s We Can t Stop as victory song 721864 Maple Leafs James Reimer reignites goalie debate with strong showing 721865 Maple Leafs James van Riemsdyk on ice for practice but status for next game isn t certain 721866 Maple Leafs vs. Hurricanes: Next game preview 721867 Maple Leafs: Penthouse: Mason Raymond has good game; Doghouse: Morgan Rielly shows flaws 721868 Maple Leafs: Damien Cox s 10 thoughts on Tuesday night s win over Minnesota Wild 721869 Maple Leafs got a bargain in productive Mason Raymond 721870 Leafs' van Riemsdyk 'closer' to return 721871 Maple Leafs should make no apologies for hot start 721872 Five keys to Maple Leafs' hot start 721873 James van Riemsdyk 'closer' to return to Leafs lineup 721874 Toronto Maple Leafs likely to fall victim to the math unless play improves 721875 Toronto Maple Leafs unsure about James van Riemsdyk s injury 721876 Bobby Orr happy to report that his famous knees feel great, it s everything else that hurts 721877 Pretty gutless : Accident hard to sell for St. Louis Blues Maxim Lapierre hit on San Jose Sharks Dan Boyle Vancouver Canucks 721895 Kuzma: Sedins say split gives team some spark 721896 Will the real Zack Kassian please stand up? 721897 Sedins Split: Counter-intuitive but shown to work in the right situations 721898 A foolish chemistry experiment by the Canucks Washington Capitals 721878 Troy Brouwer on collision with Derek Stepan: I pride myself on being an honest player 721879 Capitals want to put New York on its heels early 721880 John Erskine to miss third consecutive game; projected lineups for Capitals and Rangers 721881 Oates: Rangers not the same team the Capitals are familiar with 721882 Capitals don t try to hide from the truth after shutout at the hands of the Rangers

Websites 721899 ESPN / Ramblings: Sharks get revenge; can Kaleta change? 721900 ESPN / In need of goalie help? Bryzgalov or Miller? 721901 ESPN / Cooke to Kaleta: I can help you change 721902 ESPN / Alexander Ovechkin is not the problem 721903 USA TODAY / Olympic tracker: Rookie Seth Jones turns heads 721904 USA TODAY / Report: Patrick Kaleta appealing suspension 721905 USA TODAY / Maxim Lapierre to have in-person hearing Winnipeg Jets 721883 JETS NOTEBOOK 721884 Penalties become a problem 721885 Jets' Wheels a little flat 721886 Kane injured during practice 721887 At least rookies came to play 721888 Jets can't match that Price 721889 Team belongs to Bogo, Kane 721890 Afterburner 721891 Jets' Mark Scheifele gaining confidence as play improves 721892 Winnipeg Jets Frolik gets Stanley Cup ring from Blackhawks 721893 Jets winger Blake Wheeler feeling heat after another slow start 721894 Jets' Evander Kane injured at practice SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 721722 Anaheim Ducks Curtis Glencross hit the post to Fasth's left early. Fasth then made three superb stops, including a left-handed glove save on a shot by Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman. The Ducks scored the game's first two goals, starting when left wing Dustin Penner took a pass from first-line teammate Ryan Getzlaf and flicked it into the net. Kyle Palmieri made it 2-0, beating MacDonald to the right again with a shot that left his stick just as he was struck from behind by Flames defenseman Chris Butler and fell forward. The advantage seemed secure to the period's end when Calgary's Tim Jackman struck Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen with the butt end of his stick, picking up a five-minute game misconduct penalty. But the Ducks' power play is the worst in the league thus far, and Palmieri turned the puck over to Calgary's Lee Stempniak, who took the breakaway past Fasth for a short-handed goal with 3:29 left in the period. The Ducks are now one for 24 on the power play this season. "Power killers," Selanne said. "It's not pretty to watch. There's a lot of work to do." LA Times: LOADED: 10.17.2013 721723 Anaheim Ducks Fasth keeps Flames cool in Anaheim Anaheim Ducks win fifth straight with victory over Calgary Flames, 3-2 By Lance Pugmire 10:58 PM PDT, October 16, 2013 Old is all in the mind. For the Calgary Flames, their 17th consecutive loss in Anaheim to the Ducks on Wednesday night was ancient. For 43-year-old Teemu Selanne, that game-deciding goal he shot under the legs of Flames goaltender Joey MacDonald the first of Selanne's final season and No. 676 of his career made him feel like a kid again. BOX SCORE: Ducks 3, Calgary 2 "I broke my stick," right before the shot, "got it back and made the play," Selanne said after raising his arms in a trademark celebration to mark the occasion. "Sometimes, you've got to be lucky." Selanne's goal, with 3 minutes 25 seconds remaining in the second period, was the difference in a 3-2 victory that was the fifth straight for the Ducks (5-1), who kept Calgary (3-1-2) winless in Anaheim since Jan. 19, 2004. "The first one is always important, you don't have to start squeezing your stick," Selanne said. "I've been feeling pretty good. It gives you confidence." Selanne scored after breaking his stick when it made contact with Calgary's Mark Giordano's. He rushed for a replacement as Jakob Silfverberg sprinted for a steal and breakaway, sweeping a pass crisply to Selanne. "Just a great experience. He's such a skilled player to be playing with him in his last year in the league has been amazing," Silfverberg said. Preserving the lead fell to Ducks goaltender Viktor Fasth, who was brilliant in stopping 16 of 17 shots in the third period (and 33 overall) as the Ducks killed off four Calgary power plays. "I feel good what we did tonight, the way we played," Fasth said. "We fought hard in the last 20. We knew they were coming out at a high pace. We were ready to meet their push. They played good, and we came out with the win." The Ducks kept Calgary scoreless in the second period despite their three penalties and the Flames' 11 shots. By ERIC STEPHENS 2013-10-16 22:45:54 ANAHEIM It had been 10 days since Viktor Fasth made a start in goal for the Ducks, but the second-year NHL netminder wasn t about to disrupt his club s strong start. Fasth stopped 33 shots and preserved a third-period lead with some big saves as the Ducks beat the Calgary Flames, 3-2, on Wednesday night at Honda Center for their fifth straight victory. The Ducks are off to a 5-1 start for the first time in franchise history and continued their dominance of the Flames at home, winning for the 17th consecutive time dating to Jan. 19, 2004. Fasth had watched Jonas Hiller turn in consecutive strong outings against the New York Rangers and Ottawa before getting the call against the Flames. He delivered in the third with 17 stops, his left pad save on Lee Stempniak the highlight with 9:11 left. You always try to help your team as much as you can just to try to get the win, Fasth said. That s what I try to do today, too. The guys sacrificed themselves in front of me. Fasth turned the attention to his teammates, especially noting how Daniel Winnik blocked Dennis Wideman s last-second rocket with his helmet. That s the small things, if you can call it that, Fasth said. But that s the things we have to do to win the games. Dustin Penner and Kyle Palmieri scored first-period goals, but it was Teemu Selanne s first of the season and 676th of his career that proved decisive. Selanne finished a breakaway in the second as he got sprung by linemate Jakob Silfverberg and beat Calgary goalie Joey MacDonald with a new stick after breaking his other one on the blade that Flames captain Mark Giordano was using. I broke two sticks for the first time in my career, Selanne said. I don t know why. I broke the stick and I went to get (another one) and I got back. Silfver actually made a really nice play and I got the breakaway. Sometimes you got to be lucky. Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.17.2013 721724 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks want visitors to be 'nervous' October 17, 2013 By ERIC STEPHENS 2013-10-16 22:06:45 ANAHEIM The visit by the Calgary Flames to Honda Center on Wednesday night marked the first Pacific Division contest for the Ducks in the young season. There will be another one right away with Phoenix coming to town Friday. And those contests carry an extra sense of importance with the way the realigned division is looking early on. San Jose is off to a 6-0 start. The Ducks have started well but so have Phoenix and Calgary. You also figure that the Kings and Vancouver will be heard from throughout the season. It s never too easy to emphasize a divisional opponent, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. Every game against them is a four-point game. And it just so happens that our division at this point, nobody s losing. The Ducks will face former division mate Dallas on Sunday before they hit the road for an eight-game swing through the east. There won t be many home games for the Ducks in the first half of the season, and it makes their current five-game stand all the more meaningful. The reigning Pacific Division champions were 16-7-1 last season at Honda Center but will play only six of their next 21 games there. Obviously we want to take care of our business at home, winger Kyle Palmieri said. I think establishing this place as a tough place to come into and play is going to be huge for us. Now that the way the realignment is, every team s got to come through this building. I think we want to make teams look at the record we have at home and kind of be a little nervous about coming into our building. SBISA NEARS RETURN Luca Sbisa figures that he has ridden an exercise bike enough during the past few weeks that he can take on the Tour de France. Sbisa has graduated to skating during his recovery from a sprained left ankle suffered during the Ducks' first exhibition game. But the defenseman is still a ways from returning to action. I couldn't do anything unexpected, Sbisa said. But at least I made it through a 30-minute skate. I was able to do some conditioning and the foot didn't feel any worse afterward. Sbisa said the plan is for him to join the Ducks on their upcoming eight-game trip with the hope of being available on the back end of it. Left wing Matt Beleskey said the cast on his broken thumb is expected to be removed Monday. It will allow him to do more than skate and work out off ice. NOTES Chris Pronger hasn t made it official, but it has long been assumed the former Stanley Cup-winning defenseman for the Ducks will retire from the effects of post-concussion syndrome, a serious eye injury and numerous surgeries. Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren told The Hockey News that Pronger, who hasn t played since November 2011, is never going to play again. Said former teammate Ryan Getzlaf: It s sad any time anybody has to exit the game before they re ready to. It s not a good thing for anybody. With Dustin Penner rejoining the lineup after sitting Sunday because of a lower-body injury, the Ducks returned winger Devante Smith-Pelly to Norfolk of the American Hockey League. Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.17.2013 721725 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas to start in net against Bruins By Amalie Benjamin SUNRISE, Fla. For years, Milan Lucic shot at Tim Thomas, hundreds of pucks hitting the goaltender s stick and his pads and, occasionally, the back of the net. It was the normal routine of hockey practice between teammates. Then the games would start, and Lucic would get to shoot on someone else. On Thursday, Lucic again will be shooting pucks at Thomas. This time, though, the two will be wearing different sweaters and it will matter just how many pucks find the back of the net. It will be [weird], yeah, Lucic said. All those years of shooting on him in practice and whatnot, I think it ll be fun to finally get to shoot on him in a game. I m sure he s looking forward to it as well. Thomas will indeed start against the Bruins Thursday night, according to the Florida Panthers official Twitter feed, and that ramps up the excitement for a game that otherwise would have been a lackluster matchup against one of the Atlantic Division s struggling teams. Never thought that we would play against each other, said Tuukka Rask, Thomas s former backup. But I mean, I m glad he s made his comeback. That s what people want. Asked if he might get a chance to speak with his former teammate, Rask quipped, Maybe we ll fight or something. Barring a goalie-on-goalie tussle, the real attention will be on whether the Bruins are able to score against Thomas, who declined to speak to the media. The 39-year-old goalie hasn t exactly started well this season, allowing two goals in a win over Dallas in the opener, then getting pulled from a game against the Blues after letting in five goals. He injured his groin in his next game, and hasn t played since last Thursday. The numbers 5.05 goals against average,.850 save percentage are surely not up to Thomas s usual standards, but he does have a knack for performing brilliantly in the biggest games, as those in New England (and Vancouver) can recall. Definitely, said Lucic. Regardless of how it ended or not, I think there s still something special with this organization and him, just because of the Stanley Cup and two Vezinas and a Conn Smythe. He was a competitor, and that s why you expect that level of play out of him. Ah, yes, how it ended. There is still some anger remaining at how Thomas cut his ties with the Bruins. He decided not to play the year remaining in his contract after the 2011-12 season, heading out to his home in Colorado to take his mind off hockey. His rights were traded to the Islanders, though he never played for them. Then he signed a tryout agreement with the Panthers at the start of training camp. On Sept. 26, he was signed to a one-year deal with Florida, setting up a meeting with his former club. And while the Bruins have played against many former teammates players from the Cup-winning season have spread out to other organizations Lucic pointed out that this is the first time this group will face a former goaltender. That makes it different (as does that anger, of course). And perhaps brings out the competitiveness just a little bit more. I do remember the places where I did score in practice, but I m not going to say, just in case he reads about it, Lucic said. You think back of the saves he would make in games, where he was out of position and he would make his way over and all that type of stuff, so for a scouting report I really don t know what to expect because a game is much different than a practice. I guess you re just going to have to go on instinct. Other members of the Bruins were more nonchalant about the matchup. I don t care, said coach Claude Julien. I really don t care. And I m saying that in a way that we ve kind of turned the page on that. When I say I don t care, it s not about not caring about the person, it s more about our team. We need to win some games on this road trip. And whoever is in net we re going to have to beat no matter what. I don t think it s anything different than playing against guys that you ve traded. We ve traded some players that were really popular on our team. You

lose players like that that were well-respected in the dressing room and you ve got to turn the page. We ve got to do the same thing here with Timmy. The Bruins are coming off a disappointing loss to the Red Wings on Monday, which dropped their record to 3-2-0 on the season. They struggled with some defensive mistakes, and are not finishing on scoring chances or the power play. So, yes, the Bruins need wins more than they need a reunion. But they ll get one, just the same. They ll get a chance to play against and to appreciate a player who did as much as anyone to get their names engraved on the Stanley Cup two years ago. For me personally, I just think as a teammate he s everything you wanted as far as he came to play every night and he did bring that competitive edge all the time, Lucic said. I mean, I m not going to say anything bad about him because I got to spend five years with him and I got to see him play at the best level that almost any goalie played in those five years. So as a teammate, that s the most you can ask from your goaltender and your teammate. He was a big part of us winning and he was a big part of us having success over those years. And maybe a few of them will even get a chance to put a puck or two past him. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.17.2013 721726 Boston Bruins It gives you confidence because it shows that they rely enough on me, Smith said. When you get the opportunity to play with good players, you tend to be a little more hesitant with the puck, try to give them the puck more. And so one thing you try to focus on is not trying to rush plays, and if you have time and space to skate the puck you do that. But so far it s been great playing with those two guys because they re so talented. They make it really easy on me. Full contact Carl Soderberg took part in a full-contact practice for the first time since injuring his ankle in the final preseason game. Julien said Soderberg might be a game or two away from playing at this point. I think it s important that we get players in, Julien said. He had a really good camp, it s unfortunate he got hurt then. And when the time comes, I m going to have to make that decision... I d certainly like get him in there if I could.... Julien reiterated he doesn t want to keep any of his defensemen in the stands for too long, though he declined to say who would be the healthy scratch on Thursday. Dougie Hamilton played the first three games of the season, then was swapped out for Matt Bartkowski for the last two. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.17.2013 721727 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas to start vs. Bruins Thursday Posted by Amalie Benjamin October 16, 2013 03:37 PM Reilly Smith makes smooth transition to second line By Amalie Benjamin October 17, 2013 SUNRISE, Fla. When Brad Marchand struggled to find his game, coach Claude Julien moved him to the third line Saturday against Columbus. He remained there on Monday, and seems likely to be there on Thursday against Florida after skating on the third line in Wednesday s practice. Making that move easier is Reilly Smith, the young forward obtained from Dallas in the Tyler Seguin-Loui Eriksson deal. He s a young player and what I see in this young player, he seems to be getting better all the time with confidence, Julien said. You see his skill level is pretty good. His hockey sense and his vision is also pretty good. I think we re going to discover that this guy is only going to get better as he progresses and gets more experience. I think he s got the ability to possibly be a guy that can move up there, whether it s permanently or at times. He s got that skill level, but no matter what, he s a good player and I like the way he plays. He s conscientious and very reliable for a player that has more or less limited experience in this league. Smith had 40 games of NHL experience before he arrived in Boston, 37 coming in the lockout- shortened 2012-13 season. He also had an added benefit, especially as the Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Eriksson trio failed to find chemistry immediately. Smith had played with Eriksson, spending about two weeks on the same line, according to Smith. That helped with the transition, which immediately yielded a goal against the Blue Jackets. Eriksson tallied another goal Monday against Detroit, with an assist going to Smith. Smith now has 3 points, all assists, in five games. They know each other well, and you can see that even on those two-on-ones when they go together, Julien said. They can read off each other pretty well so it s obvious that they ve been together before, that they know each other a little bit better than we know them. And that familiarity has been helped even more by the faith the coaching staff has shown in Smith. SUNRISE, Fla. -- According to the Florida Panthers Twitter account, former Bruins goalie Tim Thomas will be starting against Boston in Thursday night's game, making for must-see TV. "It will be [weird]," said Bruins winger Milan Lucic. "All those years of shooting on him in practice and whatnot. I think it'll be fun to finally get to shoot on him in a game. I'm sure he's looking forward to it as well. "I'm sure he's happy to be back in the NHL playing. He's found a new home here in Florida." Most of the current Bruins never really considered that they'd play against the goalie who led them to the Stanley Cup in 2011. He was aging and, of course, under contract to the Bruins. So a change of address didn't seem in the cards -- until Thomas decided he didn't want to play the 2012-13 season. His rights were traded to the Islanders last season, though he never suited up for them. He signed with the Panthers on a tryout agreement at the start of camp, and later signed a one-year contract with the team. "Never thought that we would play against each other," said Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, who was once Thomas's backup. "But I'm glad that he made his comeback. That's what people want. I hope he does well." The 39-year-old Thomas has been practicing for a few days as he tries to come back from a groin injury suffered in the Panthers' third game of the season. He declined to speak with media, saying that he would talk after Thursday's game. Which, apparently, he is going to start. "We practiced together many years, so I don't think it's any different, because we both practice like we play," Rask said. "There will just be lots more people out there watching." Boston Globe LOADED: 10.17.2013 721728 Boston Bruins Bruins take a step back on the power play By Amalie Benjamin October 16, 2013

And it all started out so well. The Bruins began the season with two power-play goals in their second game, against Detroit, and it seemed as if the team finally had solved its problems with the man-advantage. But three games later, the Bruins still have just those two goals. At the end of the day, the main thing of a power play is that you have to score, and we re not doing that, so you can t be happy with it, coach Claude Julien said. Echoed defenseman Torey Krug, whose presence on the power play this season had seemed to be a harbinger of better things, We didn t score goals. That s what we re judged on. They can say we had great puck movement, but that doesn t matter because our job is to score goals and get momentum for our team. One of the main issues is overpassing, which has affected the team both at even strength and on the man advantage. The Bruins of late are having trouble finishing, despite spending significant time in the offensive zone. But the problem is magnified on the power play, where the Bruins are down to 2 for 19 (10.5 percent) after starting 2 for 7, going scoreless in their last 12 chances. In fact, they have as many shorthanded goals as they have power-play goals. It seems to be a tendency of whoever is out there on the power play, Krug said. We like to make the pretty play, and sometimes that s not what it takes. It s just something ugly, get it to the net, and let those guys go to work. Against the Red Wings Monday, the Bruins had a five-on-three opportunity for 1:53 a chance to get back into a game they trailed by two goals and they couldn t capitalize. It seemed like they were officially back to the old days, the days in which the power play had almost become a disadvantage. I just think the finish hasn t really been there since that game, Milan Lucic said before Monday s game. Maybe we re passing a little too much when we should be shooting. He said then that the mind-set for the team was to get more pucks on net. But that didn t yield any results. Instead, the Bruins went 0 for 5 on the power play, failing to convert on a team they previously had been successful against, as the Red Wings blocked a whopping 22 shots. There were many shots, but Julien acknowledged, Some of our guys that are good shooters probably aren t shooting as well as we d like them to be. We re not putting the puck in the net on our power play. It doesn t matter who it is, you ve seen other guys go on the power play and it seems to be a team thing right now and we re fighting to score goals. There are chances, which is a positive. They re just not going in. The Bruins understand what they need to do. They just need to find a way to do it. The more you move, the more you open up passing lanes, Krug said. The more you shoot the puck, the more passing lanes appear. We ve just got to do a better job of scoring goals. We had the chances. That s it. Instant chemistry After all the talk in preseason about developing chemistry on the lines, Julien turned that on its head when he switched up the lines Saturday against Columbus and it paid immediate dividends. Reilly Smith was moved to the second line with Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson, and the trio was responsible for a goal against the Blue Jackets, followed by another Monday against the Red Wings. You ve just got to go and try to play, Bergeron said. You can t really think too much when you have a new linemate right away. It s about just trying to play your game and have everyone try to adjust, I guess, on the fly and just make the best happen. I thought it was actually a good period for us when Smitty came on our line. He s a very fast player and he s made some great plays. It s just about playing your game. You can t think too much. You ve got to go out there and just do it, what s best that you think for your team. So does that mean developing chemistry is overrated? I don t think so, Bergeron said. I think it s about finding ways to adjust to one another and just playing your game. I think that s the bottom line is playing your game and having everyone do that and then we ll find a way. The rust factor The Bruins are still trying to figure out the defensive rotation as they go, but Matt Bartkowski has been in for the past two games and Dougie Hamilton out. That s a difficult situation for Hamilton, who needs development time on the ice. Bartkowski looked rusty in his first game, but he improved Monday. He was better today than he was the other day, so that s what you want to see from a player, Julien said. And he hadn t played in a while and just because he missed three games, it s more about the length of time that he missed more than anything else. So our games are getting a little closer now so hopefully the guys that come into the lineup won t be as rusty.... The Bruins were off Tuesday. They will practice Wednesday at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla., before facing Tim Thomas s Panthers Thursday. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.17.2013 721729 Boston Bruins Concerns about power play grow Thursday, October 17, 2013 Steve Conroy SUNRISE, Fla. This season was supposed to be different. This was the season the power play was supposed to be take off. But despite some promising early signs, that has not been the case. Yes, the puck movement has been a lot better. The Bruins have been able to spend a lot of time in the offensive zone, too. But as Bill Parcells once said, you are what you are. And going into tonight s game against the Florida Panthers, the B s are just 2-for-19 and have not scored in their past 12 man-advantages. Though the B s didn t do any on-ice power-play work at practice yesterday, they did have a meeting. Coach Claude Julien said there s more to the power-play problems than just the team s overall lack of finish. You can t always find excuses for your power play, Julien said. We are spending time in the offensive zone, and yes, that s been better. But at the end of the day you want results, and the results aren t there. You look at a guy like (Jarome Iginla), and he missed almost an open net, or he hit someone s skates. Even that 5-on-3 (Monday against Detroit), we should have had more chances even though we had some, so you can t be satisfied. We have to keep working on it. I thought our power play was really good in the preseason with some of those new guys together. Whether it s gotten stale and guys aren t moving enough, that s one of the things. At the same time, you ve got to be able to execute. Those passes for one-timers have to be in the right places for the guys to execute it properly, so it s a combination of a few things. But it s a few things we need to work on fixing. It s as simple as that. Soderberg on trip Carl Soderberg, out since suffering an ankle injury late in the final preseason game, traveled with the team and was in the fourth merlot jersey in practice here at the BB&T Center. He took full contact for the first time yesterday, but Julien said he s still probably a game or two away. He had a really good camp, the coach said. I think it s unfortunate he got hurt then. When the time comes, I have to make that decision, and if I can t take anyone out, I can t. But I d certainly like to get him in there if I could. Changes stick Brad Marchand remained on the third line with Chris Kelly and Jordan Caron while Reilly Smith stayed with Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson in practice. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.17.2013 721730 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas now the target

Thursday, October 17, 2013 Steve Conroy SUNRISE, Fla. Tonight we ll witness something we couldn t have really imagined seeing less than two years ago. Tim Thomas will be in another National Hockey League uniform the Florida Panthers facing off against the Bruins. Milan Lucic said this won t be like any other game. It will be (strange), Lucic said after the Bruins practice at the BB& T Center. All those years shooting on him in practice and whatnot, I think it will be fun to finally get to shoot on him in a game. I m sure he s looking forward to it as well. I m sure he s happy to be back in the NHL playing and I m sure he s found a new home in here in Florida. Tuukka Rask was his understudy for much of the previous three years before Thomas forced the Bruins into trading him by not reporting to training camp and opting instead for a one-year sabbatical last season. Thomas departure opened the door for Rask to finally blossom. Rask didn t expect to be facing his old friend, but that s the business. Said Rask: I never thought that we d be playing against each other, but I m glad he s making his comeback and proving people wrong again. I hope he does well. Rask said all he cares about is winning games right now, and playing against Thomas is not weighing very heavily on his mind. But he did offer to spice things up. Maybe we ll fight or something. We ll see, Rask quipped. Coach Claude Julien sounded as though he d like to get this reunion over with. At 3-2, both losses coming in the past three games, he has other things with which to concern himself. Said Julien: When you lose a guy who is well respected and liked in the dressing room, you ve got to turn the page and we ve got to do the same thing here with Timmy.... W e ve got to put the past aside for this game and look forward to the job that we came here for and that s win a hockey game. After starting Florida s first three games, Thomas missed the last four with a groin injury suffered Oct. 8 in P hiladelphia. But he s been practicing and, yesterday afternoon, the Panthers tweeted that he will start tonight. At the Panthers practice facility in Coral Springs, Thomas declined to speak to reporters through a team spokesman, saying he d speak after the game. It was a long, wonderful, strange trip that Thomas had with the Bruins, the only organization that gave him a chance back in the 2005-06 season. They even had to get him through waivers to get him up to parent club from Providence. Thomas went on to become the best goalie on the planet for a time. He led the B s to their first Stanley Cup in 39 years in 2011 and won the Vezina Trophy twice with the B s. But after the Cup season, Thomas relationship with the Bruins became strained. He rankled the team s brass by refusing to take part in the team s visit to the White House over personal, political issues. Then after the 2011-12 season ended, at age 38, he told the Bruins that he would sit out the next season. Having already collected $17 million of a four-year $20 million contract, it wasn t clear if he d ever return to the NHL. The B s moved on. They got the Islanders to take his contract off their hands in February, after the Islanders chose not to renew his contract without Thomas ever playing a game for them, the free agent signed with the Panthers. Lucic said he has no issues with Thomas. For me personally, I just think as a teammate, he s everything you wanted as far as he came to play every night. He did bring that competitive edge all the time, Lucic said. I m not going to say anything bad about him because I got to spend five years with him and I got to see him play at the best level that almost any goalie played in those five years. As a teammate, that s all you can ask from your goaltender. He was a big part of us winning and a big part of us having success over those years. Lucic expects to see the full fire-breathing Thomas tonight. Regardless of how it ended or not, I think there s still something special with this organization and him just because of the Stanley Cup, two Vezinas, the Conn Smythe, Lucic said. Lucic & Co. have played many former teammates over the years, but this is different. This is the first time that it s a starting goalie, he said It s the first time you re going to get to go against someone you shot on in practice 100, 200, 300, I don t know how many times. This one is definitely a different situation than all the other ones just because of that and also because he was such a big part of this team for so many years. Both sides, I think, are just looking forward to it. Reflecting back to their practices together, Lucic said there are certain spots where he could beat Thomas, but he doesn t believe that experience will help. You look back and think of the saves he made in games where he was out of position and he d make his way over and all that type of stuff, said Lucic. For a scouting report, I really don t know what to expect. A game is much different than practice, but I guess I m going to have to go on instinct. As a guy who spends quite a bit of time in front of the net, Lucic might expect to see some of the trademark Thomas snarl. We ll see. He s never a guy that shies away. I m sure he s going to have fun and bring his competitive edge, said Lucic. Told that he might be a little tougher to knock down than one of the Sedin twins, Lucic laughed and said, And my response will be a little different, too. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.17.2013 721731 Boston Bruins Bruins set to face off against Tim Thomas Wednesday, October 16, 2013 -- Steve Conroy SUNRISE, Fla.-The Bruins are set to play their former Vesina Trophy-winning goalie Tim Thomas tomorrow night as the B's take on Thomas' new team, the Florida Panthers, at BB&T Center. Thomas declined to speak with reporters today at the team's practice facility in Coral springs, but the Panthers announced later in the day that he would in fact be starting. It will be his first game since suffering a groin injury in Philadelphia on Oct. 8. Milan Lucic admits it will be a bit strange seeing Thomas in a different uniform. It will be, said Lucic after the Bruins' practice here at the BB&T Center. All those years shooting on him in practice and whatnot, I think it will be fun to finally get to shoot on him in a game. I'm sure he's looking forward to it as well. I'm sure he's happy to be back in the NHL playing and I'm sure he's found a new home in here in Florida. Tuukka Rask was his understudy for much of the previous three years before Thomas left. Thomas' leaving opened the door for Rask's career to finally blossom. Rask didn't expect to be facing his old friend, but that's the business. I never thought that we'd be playing against each other but I'm glad he's making his comeback and proving people wrong again. I hope he does well, said Rask. But Rask said all he cares about is winning games right now and playing against Thomas is not weighing too heavily on his mind. But he did offer to spice things up. Maybe we'll fight or something. We'll see, joked Rask. Coach Claude Julien sounded like he'd like to get this reunion over with. His team is just 3-2 and he's got other things to concern himself with. When you lose a guy who is well respected and liked in the dressing room, you've got to turn the page and we've got to do the same thing here with Timmy, said Julien. Timmy's got a new career here with Florida and we've got our own things that we've got to take care of. We've got to put the past

aside for this game and look forward to the job that we came here for and that's win a hockey game.... Carl Soderberg traveled with the team and took full contact, but Julien said he's probably about a game or two away from being cleared to play in a game... Brad Marchand remained on the third line with Chris Kelly and Jordan Caron while Reilly Smith was with Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.17.2013 721732 Buffalo Sabres Reunited Sabres trio of Ennis, Foligno, Stafford play like it s 2012 By Mike Harrington on October 16, 2013-11:29 PM Tuesday s desperately-needed first win of the season was a turn-back-the-clock night of sorts for the Buffalo Sabres. All the way back to, well, 2012. With Marcus Foligno shifted to center between Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford, the trio willed the Sabres to their 4-3 shootout win over the New York Islanders by providing the kind of jam up front the team has sorely lacked. The line scored two goals, including Foligno s game-tying tally with 2:01 to play, and stuffed the stat sheet by combining for 20 shot attempts, nine shots on goal, eight hits and a 12-10 record on faceoffs. Ennis also had the game-winning goal in the shootout. The trio attacked the Islanders zone all night, with strong work along the boards and lots of traffic in front of the net creating plenty of opportunities. It was reminiscent of March 2012, when they took the NHL by storm with 21 goals and 49 points in 13 games after Foligno was promoted from the minors, and nearly helped the Sabres squeeze into the playoffs. It was kind of like two years ago where we were playing like that every game, getting it in, moving our feet and making plays, Ennis said. It just built confidence with our line. Those good shifts here reminded us how we played a couple of years ago. We have to do that every game. After ending their 0-6-1 winless skid to start the season, the Sabres were off Wednesday but coach Ron Rolston said after Tuesday s win that the line will stay intact for tonight s visit to First Niagara Center by Vancouver. Rolston was pleased by the look of the line with Foligno at center and Ennis on left wing. The Sabres have shifted Ennis between wing and the middle a lot the last two seasons, with some case to be made he gets the puck more at center. But he can use his speed along the boards and a healthy Foligno in the middle can create lots of space for Ennis, too. It gives you some depth and it s something we haven t had this first stretch of games, Rolston said of the line s output. Our second or third line hadn t produced or generated anything and that line carried us through the game. Ennis, who opened the scoring Tuesday with a tap-in from the crease after the puck squirted between the legs of goaltender Evgeni Nabakov, and Foligno both posted their first goals of the season. Stafford, who got his first of the year Saturday in Chicago, added his first assist Tuesday on the Ennis goal. He had a strong game, particularly in the offensive zone, as he screened Nabakov on Foligno s goal and joined his center in giving the Islanders fits down low and along the wall. That s when they re at their best, Ennis said. They re so big, they re tough to handle. It s just miserable when you re losing, Stafford said. It s not much fun and it s hard to stay positive. It s a battle but that s what makes it even sweeter when you push through finally. When you re working like that, you re trying to juke and jive out there and get a couple pucks on net and fortunately we got a couple breaks. Foligno said he quickly found a comfort zone at center and said he had been watching some of Ennis tendencies at the position for a while in case he was asked to make the switch back. He said the Sabres started to feel a corner was turned with the team s strong finish in Saturday s 2-1 loss at Chicago and that the late comeback on Long Island could be a real springboard. Ever since Chicago, you build and keep building, Foligno said. We know we have to keep working hard and it paid off. Earlier it might have been hard to come back and get that last goal but now we got it and it s something that hopefully can change our confidence. We knew it was coming. Our line was coming, Ennis said. We had a lot of chances. It felt good but we re hungry for more. Buffalo News LOADED: 10.17.2013 721733 Buffalo Sabres Word is getting around on Darcy, Sabres making deal By Bucky Gleason on October 16, 2013-11:25 PM Nick Kypreos has been around the NHL for a quarter century between his playing and broadcasting careers, so you can safely assume he s made a few connections along the way. He s well spoken, has friends across the league and knows how to use a telephone. Rest assured he has better things to do with his idle time than dreaming up bogus rumors about the Sabres just for kicks. He s not going to waste precious television air time because he s trying to make life difficult for the worst team in the league. It doesn t work that way. Kypreos spoke to people who told him that Darcy Regier could be in trouble. He didn t say it was imminent. He shared what he heard with his coworkers at Sportsnet. They determined the information was solid enough before Kypreos passed it along to viewers. It was a planned segment, not some unexpected knee-jerk reaction. In a perfect world, the ownership group in Buffalo would have rather have waited up until Christmas, but I m hearing that the decision could come a lot sooner, and they ultimately will make the change, Kypreos said. They re feeling the heat from the fans, that s for sure. Could the information be wrong? It s possible, but bet your life savings that the information came from someone who A) Kypreos trusts and B) would know. Otherwise, the people around him, if not his own conscience, would steer him toward one of the other 29 teams that are far more newsworthy. And just so you know, there was talk Wednesday afternoon that the Sabres were working on a deal with Edmonton that would send Ryan Miller or Thomas Vanek and possibly both to the Oilers in a package that would bring Nail Yakupov and more to Buffalo. Whether it actually happens is another story. But as it stood Wednesday, the two sides had considered, or were considering, a major swap. People talk. The word gets around. Once it became clear to me Wednesday that the information wasn t drummed up on some fan website or at the bar or heaven knows where else this stuff originates, I decided to share it with you. And it makes sense. Regier has an affinity for players taken high in the draft for reasons that aren t entirely clear. It goes back to J.P. Dumont and Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyatt. Yakupov, 20, selected with the first pick overall in 2012, is an easy sell to a guy like Regier. Regier also has a very good relationship with Oilers assistant GM Scott Howson. I ve been told numerous times over the years that they consider each other among their best friends. Maury Gare, Danny s brother and the Oilers top scout, lives in Western New York and is quite familiar with the Sabres. The Oilers are desperate for goaltending and view Yakupov as an expendable young player. They already have a collection of young forwards, and progress with him has been slow. Losing him is worth the risk. The Sabres are rebuilding with youth and need forwards. Miller is in the final year of his contract. The Oilers wouldn t make the deal unless they could convince him to sign a contract extension. Edmonton is a